Slaying the Energy Cost Dragon

Mike Morris and Dave Ryan

National Center for Appropriate Technology

Thanks to our funder, the USDA Risk

Management Agency.

Thanks to CEFS.

1. Understand Your Enemy

Source: Kastens, T., K. Dhuyvetter, et al., Energy Use in the Kansas Agricultural Sector, Kansas Energy Council, June 15, 2006.

How the US economy uses energy(100 quadrillion Btus)

How the US food system uses energy (10 quadrillion Btus)

Home Refrigeration &

Preparation

31%

Agricultural Production

21%

Transportation

14%

Processing

16%Restaurants

7%

Food Retail 4%

Packaging 7%

Source: Heller & Keoleian, 2000

How US agriculture uses energy

Fertilizer Production

29%

Herbicide/Pesticide Production 6%

Irrigation 7%Diesel Fuel

(Non-Irrigation) 25%

Gasoline 9%

Natural Gas(Non-Irrigation)

1%

Liquid Petroleum Gas 5%

Electricity (Non-Irrigation) 18%

Source: Heller & Keoleian, 2000

How Cherry Farm Uses Energy(FY05-06, billions of Btus)

7 billion Btu

Cherry Farm’s “Energy Footprint”

Raw Fuels

Source: USDA Economic Research Service

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0Total # US farms (millions)

Energy used per unit of farm output (1996 = 1.0)

US farms have doubled their energy efficiency since the 1970s.

2. Arm yourself. Get dangerous.

Become keenly aware of how you use energy.

Read and understand your power bill.

• Are you being charged according to the right rate schedule?

• Energy rates

Declining block

Demand

Time of use

• Beyond the bill: tariffs

3. Now let’s go to war.

Lighting

• CFL• T8• T5• HPSV• MH

Heating

• Radiant Heating

• Heat Pumps

Ventilation

• Passive Cupolas

• EE Fans

Cooling

• Evaporative

Refrigeration

• Heat Reclamation

• Ground Water Cooling

Process

• Demand Reductions

4. Turn waste energy streams into revenue or savings.

• Wood Waste

• Heat from Milk

• Process Waste

• Manure and Litter

5. There’s free energy all around you. Start using it.

• Solar Water Heating

• Solar Electric

• Wind

• Biofuels

Any questions?